Many years ago I was in a bookstore when I came across a volume of manga by the all-female Japanese team CLAMP. It was at that moment I understood the storytelling power of manga and how it was so unlike anything I had ever seen before. Since then, I've been studying day by day to draw and write my own manga series. I have a BS in Computer Science from the University of Florida and a Master's in Sequential Art at SCAD.
I am currently living in Savannah, GA.
www.angelboy.com
Cyrus is a normal teenager whose life is abruptly ended when he’s brutally murdered!...
He reawakens as Angelboy in a town he doesn't recognize. Unable to be seen or heard by anyone, Cyrus tries to make up for the effects of his wasted life...
Only to find his world inhabited by the devils of peoples' minds! He battles hell's vilest demons for something more valuable than the entire earth... ...a single soul!
Angelboy is for Older Teens (Age 16+) and it is NOT for kids at all.
Q) What inspired you to write this story?
Ok this is going to sound kind of hokey... but what I wanted from the beginning was to explore what it means to be a good person.... Recently it seems like misbehavior is the 'cool' or the normal thing to do. In fact, sometimes, when I tell people that my book is called Angelboy they ask, 'Is he a bad angel?' and I reply, 'No, he's very sweet...' But that doesn't imply the character is boring. Not at all. I believe that doing the right thing, when there's nothing to gain, is probably the most difficult thing that anyone can do. A person with a real sense of integrity is very rare, and I think, very very cool.
Q) How long did it take you to write?
It took me about 3 years to write and illustrate Angelboy Volume 1. However, I wasn't working on it during the entire 3 years. I kept starting and stopping, because I wasn't sure which direction to take. Happily, during that time, I worked out how the story will continue into future volumes. I'm now deep into Volume 2 of Angelboy, and it's going much faster because I have already planned it out.
Q) What is your favorite thing about writing?
Finishing it! I love looking back on the individual pages, as I finish them, and notice how things turned out differently from the way they were in my head. Sometimes, it's even better than what was in my head! One day, I was feeling down in the dumps, so I reread the first volume. It was really inspiring, and it got me going again! I hope other people will enjoy the book as much as I did that day, and also find it very inspiring.
Q) What is your least favorite thing about writing?
I am really very bad at the marketing aspect. I spend so much time writing, drawing, and thinking about the story, it doesn't occur to me to tell people about it. Please... if you like the story, please tell someone about it. I need all the help I can get.
Q) If you could be any famous person for one day, who would you be and why?
I would be me! I'm not famous yet, but I want to be famous... I want to be a #1 New York Times besteller and get fans all over the world. Then I want movies and even video games based on my books. That would make me happy... I don't want to be anybody else!
Q) What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
Let's see.... I have a jar of Veganaise (Vegan Mayonnaise) in here... I'm not vegan, I just like the way it tastes... I'm not sure when I bought it, probably about a month ago. I'm not sure, though, because the expiration date rubbed off, and that's why it's still sitting here... How long until it expires? When did I buy this? I should probably use it up before it's too late...
Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?
I'm working on Volume 2 right now. I have about 10 volumes planned. As for what people can expect from me, they can expect that I'll have the very highest standards for both my writing and my artwork. I'm writing the story for me personally, more than anybody else, and a second-rate story just isn't good enough. I'll always be pushing the boundaries of my artwork and story-telling any way I can.
